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A review by earth_to_mars
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was the first book I read when getting back into reading, and I am so, so happy it was. At the time of finding and buying this book, I didn't really know any LGBTQ+ books that didn't revolve around the character coming out/coming to terms with their identity with a little romance on the side. It is because of this book I am happy to dig through and find queer literature of all genres.
Anyway, what I love about this book is Mars. They're like a little sibling who I want to protect from the weird Midsommar-esque Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy they go to for the summer after the tragic (and strange) death of their sister Caroline. I love that this book is in Mars' perspective as it aids in the growing paranoia and suspicion that the academy is not what it seems. We learn a lot about how he thinks and how he sees the world around him.
At the same time, we get very little characterization of the people around him (i.e. Wyatt, Bria, Mimi and Sierra) and while that can be a deal breaker to some, it wasn't terrible. We still get some of their personalities as they interact with Mars over the course of the summer.
The pace is a little strange. It starts of very fast, grabbing you in, the middle section is a bit of a drag though as not much is happening and we just follow Mars through mundane camp activities, only for the story to pick right up around the third act. I get it's to build suspense, but it dragged a little through the middle.
My two main issues that keep it from being a five star book are the fact that despite it being called The Honeys we barely get to see Mars interacting with them. The three girls have the least amount of characterization despite the fact the book is named after them. Also, the representation feels off. Mars is genderfluid, and while I am not, I am trans, so I understand her struggles to an extent. Mars would complain a lot, about being misgendered as a boy, and it's clear to me that they do not like being masculine or perceived as masculine. But throughout the book, he only ever uses he/him pronouns despite preferring any/all pronouns. It felt La Sala was playing it safe and ended up missing the mark (I don't think it's done maliciously, I think La Sala needed to do more research, maybe talk to genderfluid people). There was also the dreaded queer metaphor of how Mars' gender is like floating in a lake and sometimes he goes to one side of the lake, sometimes the other and sometimes he floats in the middle. Please, please I am begging authors and writers to stop with weird metaphors (looks directly at Schitt's Creek) unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. A fantasy world that doesn't have the same terms as Earth).
But hey, I think this was a good first book to get back into reading again. It has made me more interested in the horror genre and hopeful in finding good contemporary LGBTQ+ literature. It was a fun, and occasionally disturbing (in the best way) and I would definitely recommend this book for those wanting a start in the horror genre.
Anyway, what I love about this book is Mars. They're like a little sibling who I want to protect from the weird Midsommar-esque Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy they go to for the summer after the tragic (and strange) death of their sister Caroline. I love that this book is in Mars' perspective as it aids in the growing paranoia and suspicion that the academy is not what it seems. We learn a lot about how he thinks and how he sees the world around him.
At the same time, we get very little characterization of the people around him (i.e. Wyatt, Bria, Mimi and Sierra) and while that can be a deal breaker to some, it wasn't terrible. We still get some of their personalities as they interact with Mars over the course of the summer.
The pace is a little strange. It starts of very fast, grabbing you in, the middle section is a bit of a drag though as not much is happening and we just follow Mars through mundane camp activities, only for the story to pick right up around the third act. I get it's to build suspense, but it dragged a little through the middle.
My two main issues that keep it from being a five star book are the fact that despite it being called The Honeys we barely get to see Mars interacting with them. The three girls have the least amount of characterization despite the fact the book is named after them. Also, the representation feels off. Mars is genderfluid, and while I am not, I am trans, so I understand her struggles to an extent. Mars would complain a lot, about being misgendered as a boy, and it's clear to me that they do not like being masculine or perceived as masculine. But throughout the book, he only ever uses he/him pronouns despite preferring any/all pronouns. It felt La Sala was playing it safe and ended up missing the mark (I don't think it's done maliciously, I think La Sala needed to do more research, maybe talk to genderfluid people). There was also the dreaded queer metaphor of how Mars' gender is like floating in a lake and sometimes he goes to one side of the lake, sometimes the other and sometimes he floats in the middle. Please, please I am begging authors and writers to stop with weird metaphors (looks directly at Schitt's Creek) unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. A fantasy world that doesn't have the same terms as Earth).
But hey, I think this was a good first book to get back into reading again. It has made me more interested in the horror genre and hopeful in finding good contemporary LGBTQ+ literature. It was a fun, and occasionally disturbing (in the best way) and I would definitely recommend this book for those wanting a start in the horror genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, and Transphobia
Minor: Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment